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Manuscript by Bard on the administration of medical schools written in response to an inquiry by the New York State Board of Regents, circa 1819.
History and Biography
Bard, son of the prominent physician John Bard, was educated at King’s College (later Columbia) and received his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1765. In 1767 he was one of the six New York City physicians who persuaded King’s College to establish a medical school, now the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (P&S), the second oldest in the United States. Bard served as its dean and professor of medicine until its closure in 1776 due to the War for Independence and, after the newly renamed Columbia College revived the medical school in 1791, he served it first as dean and later as president until his death in 1821. Bard Hall, the P&S residence hall, is named for him.
Organization
An overview of the best methods for operating medical schools composed and signed by Bard replying in his capacity as President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. It was written in response to an inquiry from the New York State Board of Regents which had oversight over higher education in the state. Though not dated, the minutes of the College’s Board of Trustees reveal it must have been written in 1819.
Bard discusses curriculum, the length of time students need to apprentice with a practitioner, the manner of examining candidates for the medical degree, and the best method of governing the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He also compares and contrasts instruction at P&S with four other medical schools: the University of Edinburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and the University of Maryland.
There are penciled emendations throughout the document and it is signed by Bard on the last page.
Subject Headings and Related Records
Administrative Information
Purchased from James Cummins Bookseller, 2017 (accession #2017.39).